Work planned for Marlow Bridge brought forward to Monday 18th May 2020

Marlow Bridge. (Archive picture)

Maintenance work planned for Marlow Bridge is to be brought forward to begin at 9.00am on Monday 18th May 2020.

While traffic is at an all time low, essential planned works for Marlow’s iconic suspension bridge by Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB), which was was originally due to start in September 2020, will now begin on Monday 18th May 2020.

A decision has been made to split the project into two phases due to the coronavirus emergency. The first stage of the work will now be done in May 2020 so it will reduce the impact on residents and businesses when the current lockdown comes to an end.

The cleaning of the bridge towers and repainting of its chains and hangers will be included in phase 1 of the project. This will begin at 9.30am on Monday 18th May 2020 and will requiring a 24 hour road closure of the bridge until 6.00pm on Tuesday 26th May 2020. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be also to access the bridge.

After 6.00pm on Tuesday 26th May 2020, temporary two way traffic lights will be in place to allow vehicles access until Friday 19th June 2020 when phase 1 of the project will be completed and the bridge becomes fully accessible again.

Phase 2 is provisionally planned to start in September 2020, it will involve repainting bridge parapets and replacing bearings on the Bisham end of the bridge.

TfB has a long-term strategy in place to conserve the listed bridge for current and future generations. As part of this strategy, there is an ongoing requirement to undertake routine maintenance and refurbishment.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Nick Naylor, said: ‘I am so pleased that we are still able to carry out this important and highly anticipated work on Marlow Bridge.

Over the years, TfB has worked tirelessly to do all it can to protect and preserve this iconic structure. Now we can carry out the relevant work in a shorter time frame whilst minimising disruption to the public, which I know will be much appreciated by the residents of Marlow especially.

I look forward to seeing the end result.‘

*Source of article : Press release from Buckinghamshire Council.